This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rotary engines, particularly rotary engines in which the cylinder block and piston assembly rotates as a unit and is connected by a constant velocity universal joint or the like, to an angled plate from which the input is taken.
The basic concept of a rotating cylinder block and angled plate is known and is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 980,491 (C.J. Coleman) issued Jan. 11th, 1911.
This shows a four-stroke type engine secured to a rotating shaft and mounted in a base. with the shaft being connected at one end by means of a universal joint, to an angled plate member supported in bearings and with the power takeoff situated at the other end of the shaft. Intake and exhaust functions are controlled by means of poppet type valves located in the cylinder head.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,808 (G. A. Reynolds) issued July 6th, 1920, shows a somewhat similar arrangement operating on a four-stroke principle and with rocker arm actuated valves being situated in the cylinder head and including a drive shaft which extends through the axis of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,275,494 (O. O. Storle) issued Aug. 18th, 1918, shows a structure similar to 1,345,808 with rocker arm actuated valves and linkage connections between the axial shaft and the angled plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,237 (Londo) issued Oct. 3rd, 1972, discloses a similar type engine only actuating on a pure two-stroke principle with transfer ports incorporated therein and an axial shaft extending through the engine block.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,055 (Long) issued July 20th, 1976, discloses an external combustion engine with a piston driven unit utilizing uniflow principles with transfer ports upon each side of the pistons for transferring the exhaust from one side to the other thereby extracting additional energy from each has charge through a second expansion before finally exhausting the gas.
However, the present design overcomes disadvantages inherent with the prior art structures by reducing the moving parts to the minimum, eliminating rocker arms, poppet type valves and other linkages, and by providing an axially located intake and compression chamber in the cylinder block which incorporates a compression fan and a heating and atomizing fan rotating with the block to assist in the proper preparation of the fuel/oil mixture prior to injecting same into the cylinders surrounding the intake and compression chamber.
Furthermore, the present device incorporates a lubrication system which eliminates the necessity of mixing oil and fuel together as is usual with two-stroke type engines and also eliminates the use of transfer ports between the crank case and the compression chambers of the cylinders.
Some of the prior art patents mentioned above require slideable seals, gears, springs and an odd number of cylinders in order to operate and four-cycle designs require oil pumps for lubrication.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a rotary engine operating on the two-stroke principle comprising in combination a cylinder block including a hollow hub at one end thereof, bearing means for supporting said hub for rotation together with said cylinder block, an axially located intake compression chamber formed through said block and a plurality of cylinder bores also formed through said block in radially equidistant location around said intake compression chamber, a cylinder head detachably secured to one end of each of said cylinder bores, an angle plate, means journalling said angle plate for rotation, the longitudinal axis of said cylinder block and the longitudinal axis of said angle plate lying at an obtuse angle with one another, means operatively connecting said block with said angle plate along the axis thereof whereby they rotate together, a piston reciprocal in each cylinder bore, a connecting rod operatively connected to and extending from each of said pistons, means equidistantly spaced around the axis of said angle plate for operative connection of the other ends of each of said connecting rods, fuel/air inlet means adjacent one end of said intake compression chamber, the other end of said intake compression chamber being closed, a fuel/air vapourizing and mixing fan secured to and rotating with said upper end of said intake compression chamber, a fuel/air compression fan mounted adjacent the other end of said intake compression chamber, spaced from said vapourizing and mixing fan, a fuel/air intake port extending from said intake compression chamber between said fans, to each of said cylinders, a stationary exhaust ring surrounding said cylinder block in sealing relationship therewith and having an exhaust outlet formed therethrough, an exhaust port extending from each cylinder and registering successively with said exhaust outlet as each cylinder rotates thereby, carburetor means operatively connected through said hub to said intake compression chamber and ignition means operatively connected to each of said cylinder heads.
A further advantage of the invention is that it operates on a fuel induction concept With the fuel mixture being maintained under positive pressure during operation which assists in the complete charging of the cylinders on the intake stroke.
A further object of the invention is to provide control and adjustment of the timing of the exhaust opening sequence which together with electronic ignition timing control, permits accurate adjustment of the operation of the engine.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel piston design particularly suited for the lubrication thereof in a two-stroke cycle operation and which furthermore permits ready access to the balljoint connection between the connecting rods and the pistons.
A still further advantage of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is basically simple in construction and which incorporates the minimum of moving parts thus reducing considerably the number of parts which may wear and which also permits adequate cooling and lubrication during operation.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: